0:00:12 > 0:00:14They're eight metres long...
0:00:17 > 0:00:19..weigh six tonnes...
0:00:22 > 0:00:26..and are one of the ocean's most feared killers.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33Ambush hunters, no prey is too big for them.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42Most would consider it madness to enter the water with them.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48But one extraordinary woman thinks differently.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Woo-hoo-hoo!
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Wow! That was incredible!
0:01:07 > 0:01:14I get called all sorts of names for getting in the water with the orca - crazy, reckless, irresponsible.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18Ingrid Visser is the only researcher in the world to swim with wild orca,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21or killer whales as they're also known.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26They spend less than 10% of their lives at the surface, so if you want to really want to understand what
0:01:26 > 0:01:29they're doing, it makes sense to get in the water with them.
0:01:29 > 0:01:35Ingrid's maverick approach is revolutionising our understanding of orca behaviour.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41She's discovered New Zealand's orca are critically endangered.
0:01:41 > 0:01:47And this year, she's witnessed an unusually high number of deaths.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49MAN CHANTS
0:01:55 > 0:02:01'We've absolutely no idea why he died, if it was from natural causes.'
0:02:01 > 0:02:07Now she's on a one-woman mission to find out what's going on.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09If I had to, I would give my life for those animals.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13I would do anything for them to protect them.
0:02:13 > 0:02:14I really would.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24TELEPHONE RINGS
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Orca Hotline, Ingrid speaking.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Ah-ha. Oh, great. Whereabouts are they?
0:02:30 > 0:02:36Ingrid responds to all orca sightings within a 200-mile radius of her remote base.
0:02:36 > 0:02:43I've set up a toll-free number for people to call the Orca Hotline, and, ideally, when people see the animals,
0:02:43 > 0:02:48they give me a call and that gives me a heads up and time to be able to get out to them before they move on.
0:02:50 > 0:02:57With orca capable of moving up to 100 miles in a single day, she's got to react fast.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02I guess you can sort of think of my life as being a bit like being a doctor on call,
0:03:02 > 0:03:0724 hours a day, seven days a week and I kind of like it that way, actually.
0:03:09 > 0:03:16Ingrid's discovered less than 200 orca live along New Zealand's 9,000 miles of coastline.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29With their nearest neighbours thousands of miles away in Australia
0:03:29 > 0:03:33and the Antarctic, they're extremely isolated.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38Following up on every call and photographing every orca
0:03:38 > 0:03:43she sees is key to monitoring the health of this tiny population.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56They should be here somewhere.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57They could be anywhere.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04After three hours searching, Ingrid and her assistant, Wendy Turner,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07find the orca a few hundred metres off shore.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08There they are. Excellent.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12And, incredibly, they head straight for them.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16- Look at this! Here they come, here they come! Look at this!- Oh, wow!
0:04:18 > 0:04:23The first animal to arrive is a young female called Splash.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27Hey, guys!
0:04:27 > 0:04:31Following close behind is a big male called Rua.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34That's nice. Hi, Rua.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I've known Rua since I first started the research and he was
0:04:37 > 0:04:42an adult male then, so I've figured that he's certainly well older than me.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45We know that orca can live at least 60, possibly even
0:04:45 > 0:04:5080 years, so we can think of Rua almost like a granddad, really.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52It's nice to see him.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Ingrid knows most of New Zealand's orca by sight.
0:04:55 > 0:05:01She recognises them by the shape of their fins and the unique patterns on their bodies.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Oh, look, and there's more over there.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Crikey, it's like orca soup out here.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Today, more than 20 are here.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10- Did you see who it was yet?- Yep.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13- Looked like Yin and Putita. - Oh, really?- Yeah.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Seeing this many is very unusual.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20It's a tenth of New Zealand's entire population.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24- Let's see if we can get some fin IDs on these guys.- We've Ben up now.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- Yeah, OK, great.- He's gone down.
0:05:26 > 0:05:32Taking photo IDs of the orca is the only way Ingrid can monitor their numbers.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33There he is.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Porky, Wa-hoo!
0:05:36 > 0:05:38And that's him there.
0:05:38 > 0:05:43But observing these majestic creatures from above the water isn't enough for her.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45OK?
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Ingrid's taken her science to a whole new level.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02With teeth ten centimetres long and jaws that could tear her in two,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Ingrid is entering the lair of the ocean's top predator.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14A single blow from their tail can kill.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26Ingrid's the only scientist in the world to observe orca underwater like this.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30But it's not fear she feels.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34I've swum with a whole range of marine mammals and they're
0:06:34 > 0:06:39all magical in their own way, but there's just something about orca.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49There is this real thing when you make eye contact with them underwater,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52and you can't begin to describe it, really.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58You can really see that they have a playful side as well,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01which is quite amazing when you know how powerful they are.
0:07:08 > 0:07:14When they come up right next to you, you almost get the feeling like it's a bus driving right past you.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19Yet there's still such a grace about them, such a style when
0:07:19 > 0:07:24they move under the water that you don't feel like they're aggressive
0:07:24 > 0:07:30or anything like that, and there's just this magical feeling as they swim by.
0:07:38 > 0:07:44Everything we know about New Zealand's orca comes from this woman's fearless research.
0:07:51 > 0:07:57Recently, she's discovered her orca call to each other using a unique dialect.
0:08:00 > 0:08:06And while most orca stay in the same pods for life, Ingrid's orca mix around much more.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15The New Zealand orca are completely unique.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Genetically they're different, acoustically they're different,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22but also the big thing for me is that behaviourally they're different.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Woo-hoo-hoo! Wow!
0:08:42 > 0:08:45That was incredible! Woo!
0:08:45 > 0:08:47It's almost like...
0:08:47 > 0:08:50orca soup down there, there's so many of them.
0:08:50 > 0:08:55And they're just rolling all over each other, and socialising.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58It's just amazing.
0:08:58 > 0:09:04You can really tell just how strong the social bonds are because they're touching each other and...
0:09:04 > 0:09:05It's just amazing!
0:09:05 > 0:09:09And then they're swimming right past me and looking up and...
0:09:09 > 0:09:13Wow! OK, Wendy, that was pretty cool.
0:09:13 > 0:09:19I think we're going to head home now because I've got some good pictures, and I think I got a photo of
0:09:19 > 0:09:26the underbelly of that young one, so we'll be able to tell whether it's a boy or a girl, so that's great. Woo!
0:09:35 > 0:09:40Ingrid's base is this remote farm, where she's lived most of her life.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48It was here walking on these cliffs that her love of orca first developed.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53I've been obsessed with orca ever since I can remember.
0:09:53 > 0:09:58At five or six years old, I knew I was going to work with them and they're just such amazing animals.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03And I used to come out here on the cliffs and look for them and just try and catch a glimpse of them,
0:10:03 > 0:10:09and now I've grown up a bit and I get to live my dream, which is pretty amazing.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15Obviously, there's risks working with any wild animal and orca are no different.
0:10:15 > 0:10:21But I'm finding out things that nobody else knows about them, so I consider those risks are worth it.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26I've been described as obsessive, crazy,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30and lots of other things about these animals, and I'm comfortable with that.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35I don't mind being obsessed about orca, and long may it last.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42As night falls, Ingrid downloads the photos from the day's dive.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48The average group size for the New Zealand orca population is between six to twelve,
0:10:48 > 0:10:53so today getting out there and seeing 20-plus animals is pretty amazing.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57There was likely a couple of individual groups that formed this super-group,
0:10:57 > 0:11:02and I don't get to see that very often, so it was pretty special.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Ingrid's groundbreaking photo ID work has revealed New Zealand is
0:11:07 > 0:11:12home to less than 200 orca and they live here all year round.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20Her findings forced the New Zealand government
0:11:20 > 0:11:24to change their conservation status from common to critical.
0:11:24 > 0:11:30But despite more than eight years of protection, the population shows no signs of growing.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Why is a mystery.
0:11:34 > 0:11:40And now Ingrid fears her orca may be even more fragmented than she first thought.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44The orca here look like they're in three separate populations,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46so we've got a North Island population where we are,
0:11:46 > 0:11:48and then we've got a South Island population
0:11:48 > 0:11:52and we've got one that sort of goes all over the place.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Some of the threats that New Zealand orca face include pollution,
0:12:00 > 0:12:07over-fishing of their food, also destruction of the habitat that they hunt in.
0:12:07 > 0:12:13If we had one environmental disaster, one oil spill, we could wipe out the whole population,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15so they're right on the brink.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Ingrid's work has never been more important.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28TELEPHONE RINGS
0:12:30 > 0:12:32Orca Hotline, Ingrid speaking.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Oh, hi, Ingrid.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37- It's Dave Ashby here.- Hello.
0:12:37 > 0:12:43Ingrid, I've just been doing a spot of fishing off Matapouri Bay and I think I've spotted a pod of orca.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Oh, fantastic. OK. How many do you think there are?
0:12:46 > 0:12:48I think there's about five.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Brilliant. I'm on my way.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Thanks for the call.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Tutukaka coastguard radio.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59Tutukaka coastguard radio. This is Zulu Mike Romeo 4506,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Zulu Mike Romeo 4506 Orca Research. Do you copy?
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Research, this is coastguard radio. Go ahead.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08We're just heading up the coast.
0:13:08 > 0:13:14We have two POB. We're not sure what time we'll be back yet, but we'll give you a call when we return, over.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Following up on every call is the only way that Ingrid can build up
0:13:19 > 0:13:24a detailed picture of the orcas' lives, where they go, what they do.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30It's research that could reveal why the population isn't growing.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Hang on, hold on!
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Here she comes!
0:13:35 > 0:13:36Woo, yee-ha!
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Her search often takes her more than 20 miles offshore
0:13:40 > 0:13:44and into the volatile waters of the Southern Ocean.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59- There they are! - Oh, yeah, I see you there!
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Yep.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Come on up, guys.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09Oh, that's Funky Monkey. Who else is out here, though?
0:14:09 > 0:14:15GPS is 174 31439 east.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19We're just to the south of Matapouri Bay.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Animals are slow-travelling as we head south.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26There is Funky Monkey here and... three or four others.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32Moving steadily down the coast, they're heading for one of their favourite feeding grounds.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39What are you doing? What are you doing?
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Yep, she's coming up.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Here's a foot. Do you want a foot?
0:14:44 > 0:14:48What's that foot doing?! Whoa. You're a cutie.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51- Upside down!- Look at that nice tail.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Excellent. Oh, and we've got more in front.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00The pod are part of the 70-strong North Island group and some of her favourite characters.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02There's Funky Monkey! Yay!
0:15:02 > 0:15:05So Funky Monkey,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09he's got this really, really wobbly fin, and he's just gone through his
0:15:09 > 0:15:15whole teenage growth spurt thing and his dorsal fin is really wobbly.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18I've known him since he was a tiny little baby.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21It's really fun to watch them growing up.
0:15:21 > 0:15:27It's only the males that have such big fins, and not all are this friendly.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Some of them, no matter how long I've known them,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34they just swim right past the boat and they're doing their orca thing,
0:15:34 > 0:15:39and then there's others who, my boat turns up and they're racing over and they want to play.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42OK, I'm going to drop over here, see what she'll do.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Ah, tail.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47A young female called Pirate approaches the boat.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52Just five years old, she's followed closely by her mum, Salty.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Oh, Mum's coming in, too. You're coming in for a play as well, are you? Hello.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01Ingrid greets them by slapping the water and blowing bubbles.
0:16:03 > 0:16:04Here, here. Come on.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Incredibly, the orca often blow bubbles back at her.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11Come on. I mean, this is the thing that fascinates me
0:16:11 > 0:16:15about these animals - they're just so curious.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19I'm not feeding her, but she's just interested in what we're doing.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24- Hey, hello!- Blowing bubbles, the orca are mimicking Ingrid.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Ah, what a little cutie! Come on!
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Far from being ruthless killers, this remarkable interaction shows
0:16:34 > 0:16:38just how inquisitive and gentle wild orca can be.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Hello. Oh, you're a little calmer, aren't you?
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Not so excited. Yeah.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46There we go.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52So it's about three o'clock now and we've been following them all the way
0:16:52 > 0:16:55down this coastline, they're slow-travelling.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00I'm hoping that they're going to go into the little harbour that's just ahead of us.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03So I'm going to get geared up now just in case.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Lined up in almost military formation,
0:17:10 > 0:17:15Salty, Pirate, Funky Monkey and two others enter the shallow bay.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19They've come here to hunt.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33If Ingrid's lucky, she'll see them take on a very unusual prey.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41She's discovered New Zealand's orca hunt rays.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46There's no other population of orca in the world that we know of
0:17:46 > 0:17:51that specialises in rays to the extent that the New Zealand orca do,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53so that really makes them very, very unique.
0:18:03 > 0:18:10Sensing the danger, the ray heads for the shallows, pursued by Salty and her calf Pirate.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16In this shallow water, the orca must watch out.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20They have the highest incidence of stranding in the world.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27It's very high-risk hunting for these animals.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30They can also run the risk of getting stung.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Sinking into the kelp, the ray takes cover.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Others will not be so lucky.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47Ingrid's found the orca use a variety of techniques to hunt rays.
0:18:55 > 0:19:01Lying vertically, Salty deliberately blows out air to sink to the bottom.
0:19:04 > 0:19:09Hovering over the ray is extremely dangerous.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14At least one orca that I know of has been killed from ray barbs.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21With a surgeon's precision, she holds the ray by the tip of its tail.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25Now harmless, it's unable to sting her.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38Around the world, orca specialise in hunting different prey.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42Skills are passed down from generation to generation.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49It will be many years before five-year-old Pirate perfects how to hunt rays.
0:19:56 > 0:20:02Opting for a different technique, Funky Monkey deliberately flips the ray onto its back.
0:20:02 > 0:20:08This basically induces what's called tonic immobility, and so the ray just relaxes
0:20:08 > 0:20:14and this allows the orca to carry the ray over to another orca who can then bite it in the head and kill it.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21As Pirate joins him, he allows her to share his catch.
0:20:27 > 0:20:34Food sharing like this is rare in the animal kingdom, but amongst orca it's commonplace.
0:20:36 > 0:20:44Ingrid's discovered a staggering 80% of the New Zealand orca's diet comes from eating rays...
0:20:46 > 0:20:51..and she's got a hunch their unusual taste for them might be a real cause for concern.
0:20:56 > 0:21:03Two hours later, the orca enter one of New Zealand's busiest waterways, Whangarei Harbour.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08- Keep an eye out behind us, see if there are any more, Wendy.- Yes.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11GPS is 35 49 977...
0:21:11 > 0:21:14174 29 376.
0:21:14 > 0:21:20We've just come past the wharves and we're heading down towards the refinery.
0:21:20 > 0:21:21They've been feeding on rays.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24We've seen them take at least 15 rays so far.
0:21:24 > 0:21:31With its shallow, silty bottom, conditions here are perfect for the bottom-feeding rays.
0:21:31 > 0:21:37But feeding in this highly industrialized area may not be good for the rays or the orca.
0:21:37 > 0:21:43A lot of people think of New Zealand as being a clean, green country, but in fact we actually have
0:21:43 > 0:21:46a few issues with pollutants from industrial areas washing out
0:21:46 > 0:21:51into the harbours, agricultural run-off, and even from cars that are parked in the street.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54When it rains, the oil that drips out of the sump,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57goes into the drains and comes down into these harbours.
0:21:57 > 0:22:02You've got the filter-feeding animals like scallops that are in the harbour,
0:22:02 > 0:22:08then you've got the rays that feed on the scallops, and then you've got the orca that feed on the rays.
0:22:08 > 0:22:14The orca are ending up with a lot of pollutants in their bodies, but just how much, that's the trick.
0:22:14 > 0:22:20We don't really know. So I'm really keen to try and find out how much is being passed across to the animals.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28Ten years ago, a study was done on pollutant levels in New Zealand.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33While the waters were relatively clean,
0:22:33 > 0:22:40it found raised levels of industrial chemicals like PCBs and the banned pesticide DDT in the harbours.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46It's a problem that's mirrored around the world.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50The sediments are where many of the contaminants end up.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55Once in the food chain, they bind to body fats like blubber.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00Virtually impossible to break down, they can cause serious health problems.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08The only way Ingrid can check on her orcas' health, is to test them.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26It's early winter, and Ingrid gets some bittersweet news.
0:23:26 > 0:23:32A dead orca has been found on a beach several hours north of her base.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37The report is that it's a sub-adult male, and it's almost certainly going
0:23:37 > 0:23:40to be an individual that I know, and obviously I'm going to be cut up
0:23:40 > 0:23:46about that side of things, but in terms of the science, this provides a really unique opportunity.
0:23:46 > 0:23:51When orca die, they typically sink, so to find one on the beach like this is really rare.
0:23:53 > 0:23:59It's an exceptional opportunity to take some blubber samples to test for pollutants.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04The challenge is that all of New Zealand's coastline
0:24:04 > 0:24:07falls under the protection of different Maori tribes.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15And with whales believed to be the spirits of their ancestors,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Ingrid's chances of getting her precious samples are in the balance.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37After driving through the day, Ingrid arrives as the Maori chief
0:24:37 > 0:24:39begins his final prayer for the dead orca.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42MAORI CHANTING
0:24:44 > 0:24:50His song thanks the gods for their gift of the whale and the return of their ancestor's spirit.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07When I walked up to that male on the beach, I definitely knew who it was.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12I could recognise the notch on his fin and it was very clear who it was immediately.
0:25:12 > 0:25:19I had seen him only about a year and a half previously in the Whangarei Harbour,
0:25:19 > 0:25:21not far from my home.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Of course, you don't want any of them to die.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29This young male is the third fatality this year.
0:25:29 > 0:25:36Even more are likely to have died at sea, their bodies never found.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40In 20 years of research, Ingrid's never had a year like it.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43If you consider that there's less than 200 animals
0:25:43 > 0:25:50in the whole New Zealand population, that's really pushing things and it could tip them over the brink.
0:25:50 > 0:25:56Is it just coincidence or is something more alarming going on?
0:25:56 > 0:26:00Ingrid's only chance of finding out is to do a necropsy.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06The problem is the procedure would desecrate the whale's body.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Sorry.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10No, I understand.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13It's disappointing, but I understand.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17I tried to explain it as best as I could.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19No, I understand.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22I understand and I appreciate the support, I really do.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25- I want to hongi you.- Yes.- OK.
0:26:25 > 0:26:31She's only allowed to do an external examination and take a small blubber sample.
0:26:33 > 0:26:38We've absolutely no idea why he died, if it was from natural causes
0:26:38 > 0:26:41or if somebody did something to him,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45and that was kind of why I really wanted to do the necropsy.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49Not only could we ascertain then why he died, but we could also
0:26:49 > 0:26:53try and work out so many different things about him.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58But despite the setback, this small sample could still reveal why he died.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05If pollutants played a role, they will show up in this fatty blubber.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09There we go.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16Earlier in the year, Ingrid also took samples from this two-day-old calf.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Its cause of death is also unknown.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27It could have easily been abandoned by its mother, it could have been
0:27:27 > 0:27:30attacked by a shark, it could have pollutants.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34We just don't know yet, so it's going to be interesting to try and find out.
0:27:37 > 0:27:43Back at base, Ingrid calls one of the world's leading marine toxicology experts, Dr Peter Ross,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46about analysing the samples.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50New Zealand's orca have never been tested before.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56I'm really concerned about the fact that the New Zealand orca are coming inside
0:27:56 > 0:27:59the harbours here and there's a lot of run-off from the harbours...
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Playing heavily on her mind is that around the world,
0:28:02 > 0:28:10some orca have tested positive to very high levels of PCBs, DDTs and even some flame retardants.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12We do know that these chemicals cause problems.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14They cause problems in humans...
0:28:14 > 0:28:17- Yep.- They cause problems in laboratory animals,
0:28:17 > 0:28:22and we have some evidence from wild marine animals that these chemicals
0:28:22 > 0:28:29are associated with effects on reproduction, on the immune system, on normal growth and development.
0:28:33 > 0:28:38Sitting at the top of the food chain, hunters like orca are especially at risk.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41These are Norwegian orca, and studies have been done to
0:28:41 > 0:28:43look at the contaminants inside them,
0:28:43 > 0:28:47and they've found that they have very high levels of PCBs, which are a type
0:28:47 > 0:28:54of industrial chemical, used primarily in transformers, some types of industrial oils and in sealants.
0:28:56 > 0:29:02It also turns out that they have the highest level of contaminants of any animal in the high Arctic.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08These are transient orca that specialise in feeding on marine mammals
0:29:08 > 0:29:12and live up the west coast of North America and their bodies
0:29:12 > 0:29:18are so full of pollutants that they actually have to be treated as toxic, hazardous waste when they die.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24We know that pollutants are having a major impact on marine mammals
0:29:24 > 0:29:30around the world, and I can only hope the orca down here in New Zealand aren't exposed to so many chemicals.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36While most of New Zealand's orca diet appears to come from rays,
0:29:36 > 0:29:42Ingrid's discovered there's one other animal they hunt that could also be cause for concern.
0:29:43 > 0:29:50These photos are Ingrid's only evidence that her orca are also shark hunters.
0:29:50 > 0:29:55The concern about them feeding on sharks is that sharks are high in the food chain as well,
0:29:55 > 0:30:00so they themselves probably have high levels of contaminants which is getting passed on to the orca.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04The samples will be sent to Canada for testing.
0:30:06 > 0:30:11It will be at least six months before the results come in.
0:30:11 > 0:30:18They could reveal vital clues why the orca died and why New Zealand's tiny population isn't growing.
0:30:22 > 0:30:28Most of Ingrid's call-outs are for orca, but she's also on standby for any whale in trouble.
0:30:31 > 0:30:36A call's come in from the Department of Conservation.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39A humpback whale is tangled in fishing nets.
0:30:39 > 0:30:44If we get lucky, we'll be able to find it and then cut the rope off.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47If we're unlucky, we won't even be able to find it.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51It's a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack out here, but we've got to try.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58I want that friendly little whale.
0:31:01 > 0:31:07With the help of a spotter plane, Ingrid and the team start searching the coast,
0:31:07 > 0:31:11and by mid-morning they find the whale.
0:31:11 > 0:31:12Up in front of their boat.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16- Did you see it?- Yep.- OK.
0:31:16 > 0:31:21It's a female and the fishing net is badly tangled around her body.
0:31:21 > 0:31:27Nets like these are a threat to all marine mammals, including orca.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29If they don't get the rope off, she will die.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33I think it's still around its mouth. Look, yeah, it's its mouth too.
0:31:35 > 0:31:40She's exhausted, but it's too dangerous to attempt to free her.
0:31:44 > 0:31:50Attaching several buoys to the whale is the only safe way to slow her down and get alongside her.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03She is really starting to slow down.
0:32:03 > 0:32:10When she's surfacing, it's multiple breaths now, and she's really starting to chuff like this,
0:32:10 > 0:32:16which is good for us, hard on her, but the quicker we can get this done, the quicker we can let her go.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19Right, she's slowed right down, look at that.
0:32:22 > 0:32:28This close, there's a real risk 25 tonnes of whale could flip the boat over.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35Working as fast as they can, piece by piece, the net is cut free.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41Crikey, yeah, it's pretty rotten, huh? It's been there a while.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43There's some barnacles growing on it.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45- Growing on it, yeah.- Yeah.
0:32:47 > 0:32:54Two hours later, with most of the net now free, the humpback makes a bid for freedom.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Oh, my gosh! Whoo!
0:33:14 > 0:33:17I'm getting goose bumps. You just...
0:33:17 > 0:33:19can't put that sort of thing into words.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22It's nothing money can buy, and you just...
0:33:22 > 0:33:24It's such a relief.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27How do you ever describe something like that?
0:33:43 > 0:33:46'Heading for a high of 15 degrees today.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49'Not a particularly warm one, but nice and fine outside.'
0:33:49 > 0:33:54It's now midwinter, and Ingrid's had no sightings of orca for weeks.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58'This is Northland's Classic Hits with Will and Jacks,
0:33:58 > 0:34:02'and next we have someone who has an unusual job.'
0:34:02 > 0:34:05With the help of local radio and flyers,
0:34:05 > 0:34:09Ingrid appeals to the public to call in with any sightings.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11'So how reliant on the public are you?'
0:34:11 > 0:34:15'Well, basically they're my eyes and my ears.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18'I can't find the animals without their help.'
0:34:22 > 0:34:27Soon the Orca Hotline is inundated with calls.
0:34:27 > 0:34:32A pod of eight orca have been spotted
0:34:32 > 0:34:35once again near the mouth of Whangarei Harbour.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38All to port.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42It's a chance for Ingrid to observe them hunting at close quarters.
0:34:42 > 0:34:43Keep coming round.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Come off speed?
0:34:45 > 0:34:47- Come down.- Coming down.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51There's two there. Funky Monkey's coming in and Ben,
0:34:51 > 0:34:53so there'll be four of them there.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57Excellent. Here they come. Animals are just here. Out of gear.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00Funky Monkey, with his distinctive twisted fin, is back.
0:35:02 > 0:35:08Seeing him visit this busy harbour for the second time in just six weeks is a real concern.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10Keep coming hard to starboard.
0:35:10 > 0:35:15- I want to see if we can get right in there, because this current is surprisingly strong.- OK.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23Swimming ahead of him are Salty and her calf, Pirate.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29While most New Zealand orca mix around, Ingrid's noticed this trio
0:35:29 > 0:35:33seem to like each other's company and are frequently together.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36She suspects they are probably all related.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50Orca only calve every five years.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53Their slow birth rate makes them very vulnerable.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04Joining them today is 30-year-old Ben.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07His fin was ripped in two by a boat propeller.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- Get ready, out of gear, go. - Out of gear, gone. Load and draw.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23With the orca in hunting mode, Ingrid must be extra careful.
0:36:26 > 0:36:31One blow from six tonnes of orca could easily kill her.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38It's got a ray in its mouth.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40It's got a ray.
0:36:52 > 0:36:58It's rich pickings, as Funky Monkey, Salty and Pirate catch ray after ray.
0:37:25 > 0:37:30Then Ingrid sees Funky Monkey abandoning a part-eaten ray.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32It's a great break.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46I've got a ray. So can you just grab the camera?
0:37:46 > 0:37:49Yep, sure.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Just drop it in the box for me. Excellent.
0:37:55 > 0:38:00So I've just got the remains of an eagle ray
0:38:00 > 0:38:03and you can see here...
0:38:03 > 0:38:07where the orca have punctured it with their teeth
0:38:07 > 0:38:09and where they've killed it.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13The really amazing thing is that they've ripped off half of it and...
0:38:13 > 0:38:16Whoa, it's still alive!
0:38:16 > 0:38:21The other half is still here and part of the liver is missing.
0:38:21 > 0:38:28And what I want to be able to do is take this and get it analysed to see if there's any poisons
0:38:28 > 0:38:33or toxins in the ray that's being transferred through to the orca.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36So this is a really amazing find to get.
0:38:40 > 0:38:45Like the orca, New Zealand's rays have never been tested.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48Woo-hoo, yeah! Excellent!
0:38:48 > 0:38:53This sample will now join the whale blubber for analysis.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55OK, in gear, Wendy.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07Back at base, Ingrid's noticing a pattern with her orcas' movements.
0:39:09 > 0:39:15So these red dots represent sightings for the orca over the past research
0:39:15 > 0:39:19season, and you can see that they're clustered around the harbours.
0:39:19 > 0:39:25In the last year, 60% of Ingrid's sightings have been in harbours like Whangarei.
0:39:27 > 0:39:34Until the test results come back, she has no idea if the orcas' love of hunting in harbours is a worry.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48With winter storms lashing the coast, Ingrid is housebound.
0:39:52 > 0:39:58It can be really, really frustrating how long it takes to process these samples.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00It can take months, literally.
0:40:00 > 0:40:06And the hard thing is not knowing whether it's going to be a good result or a bad result.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09You know something's coming, but you don't know what it is.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15TELEPHONE RINGS Orca Hotline, Ingrid speaking.
0:40:15 > 0:40:21Then, the Orca Hotline delivers some terrible news which pulls Ingrid away from her research.
0:40:24 > 0:40:29I've just had a report that there's about 60 pilot whales stranded on the beach,
0:40:29 > 0:40:32about three hours north of here.
0:40:32 > 0:40:37As the tide comes up, the animals, if they're in the surf, they'll actually end up drowning,
0:40:37 > 0:40:42so we need to get there and we need to get people to help the animals as quick as possible.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46Every time I get a call, I always try and go.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57Awaiting Ingrid is a scene of devastation.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Oh...
0:41:05 > 0:41:0858 pilot whales have stranded.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10Most are already dead.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12It's just a tragedy.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25Look at the little baby.
0:41:33 > 0:41:39This is North Island's second mass stranding this year, and the rescuers are overwhelmed.
0:41:39 > 0:41:45- There's one still alive there. - Where?- There, that one. She's still alive.- All right. Let's go, then.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49This one, Wendy?
0:41:52 > 0:41:55Getting the whales out of the surf is critical.
0:41:55 > 0:42:00On their sides, their blow holes are submerged and they can't breathe.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02Don't roll over! Don't roll over!
0:42:08 > 0:42:11She'll drown if she lies on her side like this.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21There's no reason she can't be held upright. Come on, girl.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23There you go. Just hold her there.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35Good girl. Hang in there. Don't give up!
0:42:37 > 0:42:41We're just going to try and move another one with a mat, see if we can get a team
0:42:41 > 0:42:45and lift it out of the surf, and come back for this one.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53All right, she can breathe.
0:42:56 > 0:42:57Now! That's a good girl.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59One more of those, sweetie.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03Go. Right, now let's try and position her better.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06Yeah, that's better, huh?
0:43:09 > 0:43:13Now, we're just going to roll you over and put the mat under you.
0:43:17 > 0:43:22As the afternoon draws on, the death toll rises.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28What triggered the stranding is a mystery,
0:43:28 > 0:43:34but pilot whales are one of the most social creatures in the ocean.
0:43:34 > 0:43:38Pod members are thought to stay together for life.
0:43:38 > 0:43:44These incredibly tight family bonds may explain why pilot whales strandings are so bad.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48What changes a stranding into a mass stranding
0:43:48 > 0:43:52is this really intense social bonding that these animals have.
0:43:52 > 0:43:59So if one goes up on the beach, then the whole group goes up, no matter what the peril is to them.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01We've got 14 still alive.
0:44:01 > 0:44:07You've got to think that this is almost like a mass car accident for these animals.
0:44:07 > 0:44:12They know something tragic's happened, they know individual members of their family have died
0:44:12 > 0:44:17and they grieve just like we do, so it's very, very stressful for them
0:44:17 > 0:44:19and that's why we stay with them and we talk to them,
0:44:19 > 0:44:26keep them calm and just, you know, try and reassure them in any way that we possibly can. I'm ever hopeful.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28I think we can pull this off.
0:44:30 > 0:44:36But just minutes later, one of the 14 survivors goes into a stress spasm.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40It's OK. Hang in there.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42Hang in there.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56No. I think that's it, Floppy. I think that's it.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15I'm so sorry, Wendy.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19I'm so sorry.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21It's not your fault.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25He tried. God, he was a fighter.
0:45:41 > 0:45:46Eventually, extra help arrives to lower the survivors back into the water.
0:46:07 > 0:46:13Slapping the water, the rescuers try to encourage the whales to leave the shallows.
0:46:16 > 0:46:22100 metres off shore, Ingrid stands by to help herd them out.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24What a sight!
0:46:24 > 0:46:27Don't know whether to laugh or cry, huh?
0:46:27 > 0:46:34Out of the original pod of 58, 13 exhausted survivors, including the little baby,
0:46:34 > 0:46:37slowly make their way out to sea.
0:46:56 > 0:47:01As winter draws to a close, Ingrid's back on the water with her orca,
0:47:01 > 0:47:04following their movement up and down the coast.
0:47:12 > 0:47:14There he is. Oh, you little mongrel!
0:47:16 > 0:47:20Come on, big guy. Come and have your picture taken.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23Today, she's found three, and they're in playful mood.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26- Oh, there's the juvie. - There's the juvie.
0:47:26 > 0:47:30- Nice one.- They must be just sitting on the tail again.
0:47:32 > 0:47:38Circling the boat and swimming upside down, they give Ingrid a spectacular welcome.
0:47:41 > 0:47:46It's pretty hard to tell who's here at the moment because the animals are swimming away from us
0:47:46 > 0:47:50and they're in the chop and it's a bit hard to see their fins,
0:47:50 > 0:47:54so hopefully they'll come a bit closer and I'll be able to work out who it is.
0:47:54 > 0:47:59It's just good to see them, no matter which ones it is.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01Here she comes.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03Come here, you. Come on.
0:48:03 > 0:48:05Come on!
0:48:05 > 0:48:11Show us your tummy so we can see if you're a boy or a girl!
0:48:11 > 0:48:14Now they're heading into the coast. They are all over the place.
0:48:14 > 0:48:201450, very erratic movement, heading in, heading out, heading north, heading south.
0:48:20 > 0:48:26I suspect that these guys are just milling around waiting for the other orca to turn up.
0:48:26 > 0:48:31First report was of eight individuals and we've only got three here at the moment.
0:48:31 > 0:48:33But there's a surprise for Ingrid.
0:48:33 > 0:48:37- See, that one's got that new notch on it, Wendy?- Yep.
0:48:37 > 0:48:42It's interesting, you know, I don't recognise these individuals immediately.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47Come on, give me your fin, please.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49Yes.
0:48:49 > 0:48:50That's the one with the notch.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52Look at that.
0:48:52 > 0:48:53Nice.
0:48:53 > 0:48:58Ingrid soon identifies two of the orca, Venus and Miracle.
0:48:58 > 0:49:02They're both from the 70-strong North Island population.
0:49:02 > 0:49:06But the third remains a mystery.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09I managed to get to get a fin ID of that new animal,
0:49:09 > 0:49:13but the weather's coming this way. I'm going to have to head into it
0:49:13 > 0:49:17to get back to port, so I'm going to have to leave now, unfortunately.
0:49:20 > 0:49:25If she's a new addition to the population, it's exciting news.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29Ingrid's orca may not be as isolated as she feared.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51Despite the rough weather today, it was a good day for the research
0:49:51 > 0:49:54because I managed to get a couple of really good photos of the female
0:49:54 > 0:49:58I thought had a notch at the base of her fin, and sure enough she does.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06And it's quite a distinctive notch and I've been through the catalogue.
0:50:06 > 0:50:11I can't match her. That potentially means that she's new to the New Zealand population.
0:50:11 > 0:50:15I don't know where she's come from, but that's pretty amazing after the recent death.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19It's good to see some new faces.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23Ingrid calls the new orca Storm.
0:50:26 > 0:50:32And you can see here on her back she's got a healed scar, and it's sort of an oval scar,
0:50:32 > 0:50:38and that is actually a bite from a cookiecutter shark, and we don't typically get cookiecutter sharks
0:50:38 > 0:50:46here in New Zealand and it's very infrequently that we see bites on the individual orca here,
0:50:46 > 0:50:54so it indicates that she's come from somewhere else and is a new animal for the New Zealand population.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57So I don't know if she's going to stay, but I hope so.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02With the population showing no signs of growth,
0:51:02 > 0:51:06Storm's arrival is an exciting development.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11Then comes bad news.
0:51:11 > 0:51:18So the results are finally in after months of waiting and, unfortunately, it's not looking good.
0:51:18 > 0:51:24The samples of both the rays and the orca have tested positive for hundreds of chemicals.
0:51:24 > 0:51:29There were two samples that we sent off and one was the male on the beach.
0:51:30 > 0:51:34He's tested really, really high for PCBs,
0:51:34 > 0:51:38DDTs and also for flame retardants.
0:51:38 > 0:51:44PCBs were banned here in New Zealand many years ago, decades ago now, but we're still seeing them showing up
0:51:44 > 0:51:48in the New Zealand orca and that's really quite scary.
0:51:48 > 0:51:54With the half-life of PCBs estimated to be up to 100 years, they could continue to affect
0:51:54 > 0:51:58the health of Ingrid's orca for generations to come.
0:52:01 > 0:52:07So the flame retardants, there's not so many of them in the animals at the moment, which is a good thing,
0:52:07 > 0:52:10but the problem is that there's absolutely no restrictions on
0:52:10 > 0:52:13the use of them and they mimic the problems that you get with PCBs.
0:52:13 > 0:52:20Flame retardants are used in everything from clothes and computers to carpets and paint.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25Leaching out from these products, they enter our oceans
0:52:25 > 0:52:29and have been shown to reduce fertility in humans and animals.
0:52:31 > 0:52:36In some parts of the world, their levels are doubling every three to four years.
0:52:36 > 0:52:40Although New Zealand levels are low right now,
0:52:40 > 0:52:45their presence is a real concern, as they are likely to rise.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49So the young calf, she was only probably a couple of days old,
0:52:49 > 0:52:53yet she's got relatively high concentrations of pollutants
0:52:53 > 0:52:58in her body too and she would have got them from the mother, passed through the placenta.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01So that means that her mother was really, really contaminated as well
0:53:01 > 0:53:05and she's offloaded some of those on to the baby.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10It's giving me the cold sweats, basically, looking at this stuff.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13It's pretty scary.
0:53:13 > 0:53:19So the big questions now really are, how serious are these pollution levels, what sort of impacts
0:53:19 > 0:53:22is that going to have on the animals here in New Zealand
0:53:22 > 0:53:27and did they actually contribute to the deaths of these two animals?
0:53:29 > 0:53:33Ingrid discusses the results with toxicology expert Peter Ross.
0:53:33 > 0:53:39These chemicals are highly unlikely to poison any of these animals,
0:53:39 > 0:53:44but these concentrations could weaken the animals or alter their growth and development.
0:53:44 > 0:53:50There might even be a risk of adverse effects on the reproductive health of both males and females.
0:53:52 > 0:53:57We see relatively high concentrations and I would put these animals
0:53:57 > 0:54:02among the most contaminated marine mammals in the southern hemisphere.
0:54:05 > 0:54:09So we can't say that these contaminants
0:54:09 > 0:54:15actually contributed to the death of the animals or they may have done, we don't really know.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17Well, we don't know.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19They're not acute poisons,
0:54:19 > 0:54:24but they can make the animals more vulnerable to some of the things
0:54:24 > 0:54:27that either mother nature or humankind throws at them.
0:54:37 > 0:54:42Obviously, I wasn't expecting the results to be quite as dramatic as that.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45There's some good news and some bad news, but,
0:54:45 > 0:54:49taking the big picture, it's pretty overwhelming
0:54:49 > 0:54:53and it's hard to know really where to go from here, especially just as a single individual.
0:54:53 > 0:54:57You know, what can I do to try and protect these animals?
0:55:01 > 0:55:06While the toxin levels are lower than those found in some of the North American pods,
0:55:06 > 0:55:11their presence could well be one the reasons the population shows no signs of growth.
0:55:29 > 0:55:33Starting at a local level, Ingrid begins her campaign
0:55:33 > 0:55:35to raise awareness about the toxins in her orca.
0:55:35 > 0:55:40PCBs and DDTs have been banned in New Zealand for a number of years now,
0:55:40 > 0:55:44so hopefully eventually those aren't going to be such a problem.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47But the flame retardants, they're a different story.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50Unfortunately, they're not regulated in any way,
0:55:50 > 0:55:54so I'm hoping from a governmental level, we'll be able to do something.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57Ingrid's first step is to meet Sue Reed,
0:55:57 > 0:56:02area manager for Whangarei Harbour at New Zealand's Department of Conservation.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05Now we've got this information, what's happens next?
0:56:05 > 0:56:10Well, short term, I'd like to get more samples. This is only two samples.
0:56:10 > 0:56:15But the thing is it's indicative of what's likely to be going on for the whole population.
0:56:15 > 0:56:20Long term, I'd like to look at trying to put some restrictions on the flame retardants.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23Obviously, PCBs and DDTs are being controlled now.
0:56:23 > 0:56:30'The meeting went really well. They were very interested in what I had to show them and tell them.
0:56:30 > 0:56:34'It feels very positive where we're going to go from here.'
0:56:35 > 0:56:40So this last year has been an absolute roller coaster of emotional highs and lows,
0:56:40 > 0:56:44but it's ended on a positive because I'm now in a situation
0:56:44 > 0:56:48that I know more about them and I can protect them better.
0:56:49 > 0:56:53It's going to be a long haul trying to get some sort of regulations
0:56:53 > 0:56:56in place for the flame retardants, but I think it's worth it.
0:56:57 > 0:57:01And of course, you know, in terms of the global situation as well,
0:57:01 > 0:57:04if New Zealand can lead the way, that would be really great.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11Ingrid continues to study and swim with her beloved orca.
0:57:15 > 0:57:22She is now also campaigning to ban the use of some flame retardants.
0:57:22 > 0:57:27Her findings are a wake-up call to us all, to better protect our oceans
0:57:27 > 0:57:33and pay heed to the widespread use of chemicals in our modern-day lives.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41Orca have been around for thousands, if not millions, of years.
0:57:41 > 0:57:46I want them to be around long after I've gone. I'm not going to rest until they're better protected.
0:57:55 > 0:58:00The future for New Zealand's orca remains fragile.
0:58:11 > 0:58:14Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:14 > 0:58:17E-mail us subtitling@bbc.co.uk